Articles, Commentary

Revealed: The top 8 most popular gas boiler spares

With well over 20 million gas boilers installed across the UK, installer access to spare parts is key to ensuring homeowners can count on a reliable, energy-efficient heating system throughout the winter months.

As the peak heating season draws to a close, Plumbase reveals which gas boiler spares categories have proved the most popular:

8 – Pressure Relief Safety Valves

The rise in the combi boiler means a sealed system will be the norm for most homes around the country. While the Pressure Relief Valve (PRV) may be vital in ensuring the boiler doesn’t become an over-pressurised safety risk, it’s fairly common for a boiler’s PRV to wear after a good number of years being subjected to contaminants within the system water.

Despite their popularity, you’re guaranteed to find Pressure Relief Valves at Plumbase trade counters nationwide. We’re so confident of this that if for any reason a core stock item isn’t available in branch we will source and provide it to you FREE of charge.

7 – Gaskets, seals, and diaphragms

It goes without saying that keeping a system sealed means gaskets, seals, and diaphragms need to stay as tight as possible. A diaphragm or seal made of rubber might be nice and flexible, but rubber is also known to wear over a number of years, or be easily damaged during servicing or repair work, making replacements fairly standard practice.

The Plumbase spares part finder can help you find the parts you need when you need them and also features 360° product and boiler views.

6 – Expansion vessels

The expansion of water when it heats will be a familiar concept, hence the importance of an expansion vessel. But when the water entering the expansion vessel is particularly dirty – as might be the case with older systems, or those which haven’t been flushed – corrosion of the expansion vessel can occur. A replacement is usually the best course of action if the vessel leaks air or water.

The Plumbase 24-hour spares line means you can place same-day and next-day orders of vital spare parts when you need them. Expert spares advice is also available on the same line between 7.00am and 8.30pm Mon-Fri. Call 0330 053 6223 to place your order.

5 – Fans

The boiler’s fan might be one of its most-used components, such is its role in ejecting waste gases via the flue. Bearings and speed controllers can fail from time-to-time though – particularly when the boiler has been used every day for a number of years.

4 – Gas valves

This part does exactly what the name suggests – controls the amount of gas flowing to the flame to allow the boiler to create heat without any risk of a leak. This is a spare part with a tendency to fail over the course of time on boilers of all shapes and sizes.

3 – Automatic air vents (AAV)

There’s very little more irritating than a noisy heating system – a problem which is generally caused by air having entered the system. An automatic air vent (AAV) is a handy little device that will release any excess air from the system by itself. It can also be susceptible to blockage or failure caused by system sludge though, so having a spare handy is a wise move.

2 – Heat exchangers

Like any boiler component – particularly those exposed to the system water – heat exchangers are susceptible to wear and tear. Whether through a build-up of limescale in a hard water area, or a build up of sludge from within the system, any unwanted contaminants have the potential to harm the heat exchanger. It’s not a component that can be repaired, so if the boiler’s outside of its warranty, a replacement will be the only answer.

Plumbase uses local knowledge and boiler populations to ensure spares are stocked to meet demand. Agreements with boiler and spares manufacturers means the parts you need are quickly and easily available at your nearest Plumbase branch.

1 – PCBs

As the boiler’s nerve centre the PCB controls every electrical component, ranging from the fan to the LED screen. The solder that holds the circuit board together can deteriorate over time, damage can occur from leaking water, and cracks or fractures aren’t unheard of either. As these are not easily repaired on site, if at all, it is usually much more time and cost effective to replace with a new one. Identifying the right PCB for the boiler you’re working on is critical, so it makes sense to seek advice from your local trade counter, either over the phone or in person.

Whether you’re in urgent need of a spare to action a quick fix, or you simply want to be proactive to ensure things won’t reach that point, Plumbase is on hand to help. Through its close partnerships with leading boiler manufacturers such as Worcester Bosch, Vaillant, Viessmann, and Baxi, Plumbase is able to offer the most comprehensive range of manufacturer-supplied spares in the industry.

Better still, its in stock guarantee, next day delivery service, and brand new 24-hour spares order line, also allow Plumbase to guarantee the best gas boiler spares service available.